Fault (Book 1 of the Vikings Series)

Chapter 18

Elin

There’s a soft knock on the door and it’s opened moments later.
“Elin,” Eesa’s soft voice fills the room. I try, unsuccessfully, to hide the tears that stream down my face. She stands beside me and pulls me into her arms.
“What is it, child?”
“None of this was supposed to happen,” I murmur but refuse to look up at her.
“Look at me,” Eesa coos. I obey, slowly. “Fate is a funny thing.”
“I don’t think this is fate. Fate would have me in Havredal obeying my parents.”
Eesa takes my hand and guides me to my feet.
“We have searched the seas for fifteen years and have not found Havredal. If you want to return and live in the shadows forever, I won’t stop you.”
“Or?”
“Or, we can show you what it’s like to live in Antrapar. There is hardly anything like it in Scandinavia,” Eesa smiles. She looks curiously down at my other hand and I show her the ring.
“Does this belong to someone from Havredal?”
I nod my head. I take a deep breath before responding. “I was told he died when Ishtar took me.”
“Now is not the time for grieving,” Eesa grins. My cross look is lost on her. “Thorgar wants to see you before the feast. I suggest you don’t keep him waiting.”
I change into a warriors uniform, similar to the one Kori had been wearing earlier. I slide my vest on and Eesa lays a long cloak around my shoulders. She sits me down on the bed and ties my hair back in a small braid. Finally, I gain her approval and we leave the room.
We stand outside of a grand hall and Eesa lays her hands on my shoulders. I place my hand on the latch. Slowly, I pull it and the wooden door creaks open. I step into the lantern lit hall and the door thuds behind me. Immediately, I realize that Eesa didn’t follow. I gulp, wishing my stomach wasn’t as fluttery as it is. Slowly, I follow the trail of lanterns in the large space. At the end of the room, stairs lead up to an extravagant throne where the man that I’d seen earlier now sits.
My feet lead me idly to the front of the room and I stop at the bottom of the steps. The man stands and looks me over.
“I’ve waited so long to meet you, Miss Elin.”
His voice is deep, deeper than I would’ve imagined. I can’t help but stare at him, completely blank faced. What else is there to do? He chuckles and starts down to my level.
“I’m sure by now you’ve figured out where you are and who I am but I’d imagine you have a few questions of your own and I’m willing to answer them for the same agreement on your part,” Thorgar explains. I nod.
“Ask away,” he smiles.
My head spins for a moment before it starts making any sense. Breath, I tell myself. A question forms in my head.
“My mother. She grew up here?”
“Yes. And not much has changed since then, either,” he responds.
“Then why did she leave?” I get more comfortable with the conversation and relax a little.
“Your father was no longer happy with things in Antrapar.”
“What wasn’t-” I start.
“I believe our agreement was an answer for an answer,” Thorgar scolds.
“Your parents have hid you in Havredal for years and you finally show up in a trading village. Why?”
I stare him evenly in the eyes, unsure if I should actually answer his question.
“Most men wouldn’t dare leave my questions unanswered.”
“I am not a man,” I hiss, the confidence coming out of no where.
“The point of that was to suggest you answer my question,” Thorgar responds quickly, though no anger is in his voice.
“When you hired someone to take me from the trading islands, that was hardly a suggestion,” I reply, matching his calm tone. Thorgar returns to his throne and sits. He rests his elbows on his knees.
“Forget about every other question I could ask you and just answer this one, honestly. Do you want to go back to Havredal?” Thorgar asks.
Is he serious? I take a deep breath, praying this isn’t just some cruel joke.
“If I said yes?”
“I would do everything in my power to return you, though we don’t actually know where Havredal is.”
“And if I said no?” I raise my eyebrows.
A small grin plays at the corner of the man’s mouth.
“You may have anything you want in Antrapar, but I warn you that it comes with a prize.”
“And that is?”
“You can have anything in Antrapar if you pledge your allegiance to me.”
Thorgar comes back down the stairs and stops next to me.
“But you don’t have to decide yet. Enjoy the feast and stay close to Eesa,” he instructs.
Thorgar continues down the hall and I wait until the door closes to slouch my shoulders.
Stay? As if. There was know way I could stay in Antrapar. I mean, sure my life was terrible back home but it was home.
I find Eesa and she leads me into the village. The people gather along a single alley leading all the way from the mountain to the harbor. Torches line the sides of the group but just enough of them to cast a dim light over the street. Almost immediately, we get boxed into the mess of people.
Eesa and I weave through the crowd, finally coming to the harbor. Eesa hands me a long staff with a piece of cloth wrapped around the top. She holds one similar to it. I reach up to touch the cloth and a liquid rubs onto my hand. I smell it and pull my hand away immediately. It smells terrible.
As we wait, more people show up carrying similar staffs. They all stand around, speaking to each other in loud voices. Most of them are all older than me, wearing elaborate animal skins. Someone passes by me wearing a fox. They shove me aside with their shoulder. I'm about to say something when the girl turns and give me a devious grin.
“Sorry, princess," Kori sneers. Before I respond she continues on, following the group of people she's with. I roll my eyes and rest against the staff. A stream of people continues past me. Some of them carry large drums tied around their necks. After they pass, Eesa pulls my arm and we follow them down to the docks where a few people greet us. Down here, it's not crowded, in fact, it's almost peaceful. I move to the side of the group and look out into the mountains. I could run. I'd probably even make it without being seen but what would that prove? That I was going to run away just like my parents had?
A large hand closes around my shoulder and I turn into Thorgar’s grasp. He smiles briefly and raises his rod into the air. The end is already burning. Immediately, the drums start echoing through the street and out over the waters. War horns are sounded in perfect sync and shouts fill the village. The people all move off to the sides of the street leaving a straight passage all the way to the mountain.
“Elin,” Thorgar calls my attention. He guides the cloth piece of my staff to his own flame and lights the torch. Eesa’s is also lit. She turns to the man beside her and passes off the flame. She nods for me to do the same. I pull my flame carefully towards the person next to me and wait until the cloth is lit before raising it back to the sky. Ahead of me, Thorgar and Eesa are already walking down the stone street and the trail of fire quickly spreads through the people.
“Get with the program,” someone pushes me from behind. I spin to glare at Kori but hurry to catch up to my family. The people smile as I pass, most of them already holding flaming rods. Finally, I get ahead of the spreading line of fire and move towards the mess of people. A man carrying his small child comes towards me. The young boy beams, his eyes twinkling in the firelight. I light the father’s torch and smile.
“Blessings,” the father says. The boy grabs at the stick and they both laugh brightly.
“Blessings,” I respond with a nod.
I light a few more torches and catch up to walk next to Eesa. The trail of flames spreads ahead of us beating us to the end of the trail of people. Thorgar takes Eesa’s hand and leads her up several steps. Eesa’s free hand catches my own and I’m pulled to stand with them.
The drums stop and a hush falls over the crowd. At the end of the harbor, three figures step out. I can’t see their faces but I imagine Kori to be one of them. She seems to have her hands in almost everything around here.
Thorgar raises his rod for a moment and instantly the three figures light their torches. They glow brighter than all the rest. The three start running through the aisle of people and stop at the base of the stairs. They move in a circle, fire pointed in the center of the group. Someone moves from the crowd and lets out a sharp cry that pierces the night. One of the three breaks off and swings his flaming rod down at the newcomer. The remaining two are both met by someone and spar off with their own partners. It’s not a battle, though. They swing their torches quickly through the air, leaving trails of sparks across the sky. The drums start once again and more people join them in the center. Pretty soon, all the groups are in perfect unison. They do the same form patterns Thorgar had led them in earlier. The original three split off and sprint up the stairs. I catch Kori’s glare as she passes but instead of the usual hostile glance I’ve been getting, this time she’s smiling.
At the top of the stairs, three large vats sit. Each of the three pick their own and stand above them.
“Let the feast begin!!” Kori shouts. They lower their flames into the vats and they immediately turn into giant cauldrons of fire. The heat hits my cheeks and I take a step down. The torches, the people, it’s amazing. I glance back at the people assembled behind me. They all shout and wave their rods in the air. I grin.
“Come on, Elin,” Eesa calls my attention. She motions for me to follow up the stairs. Thorgar and Eesa both throw their rods into the massive fires and I do the same. We move up into a giant meal hall. Long tables line either side full of food. People push past me, already sitting down for the feast.
Someone grabs the collar of my shirt and yanks me backwards.
“So this is the famous princess,” a boy sneers. His bright blue eyes sharply contrast his brown hair. Kori stands next to him looking less than amused.
“There’s nothing special about her,” Kori mutters. Another boy comes to stand next to the boy and for a second I think I’m seeing double.
“Eh, she’s cute,” the new boy says. “Hi, I’m-”
Kori pushes in front of the boys. “It’s not important. Elin, meet the twins.”
“Back off!” The boy shoves her to the side.
“I’m Maximus, you can call me max. This is maverick, the lesser attractive version of myself,” the boy says cockily.
“As if our parents couldn’t have come up with any more pretentious names,” Kori rolls her eyes. I grin.
“I’m pretty sure he's pretentious all on his own,” Maverick says.
Kori shakes her head in disgust.
“You’re just mad because they didn’t name you Lady Sif,” Max mocks.
“If I have to spend another three seconds around you three, I’m going to the mountain village early,” Kori explodes.
“Buh, bye, little sister,” Max sneers, waving at Kori.
Maverick nudges me in the side.
“You want to go find a seat before these two kill each other?”
I laugh and nod. We find a seat towards the end of one of the tables. I search the room for Thorgar and Eesa.
“They’re up there.” Maverick leans towards me and points up at the front of the room. They’re talking to each other about something.
“Pretty cool, huh?” he motions around us.
“Yeah,” I nod. I pick up the mug in front of me and sip on the sweet liquid.
Max and Kori sit down across from us. Max lays his hand on the table and instantly flinches away.
“Burn yourself again?” Maverick asks him.
“Those torches will be the death of me. I swear Thorgar’s trying to kill us,” he responds.
“You think so little of your own grandfather,” Maverick laughs. My eyes widen and I almost choke.
“Thorgar’s your grandfather? We’re cousins?!”
“Hey Kori, you still the baby of the family?”
Kori scoffs. “She’s sixteen. Year younger than me.”
“Hmm, Singrid’s daughter. I’ve always wondered when I would meet you,” Max smirks.
“Unfortunately that day is today. Don’t get too close, honor seems to allude that side of the family,” Kori grumbles.
I clench my fists. “You know nothing about my family.”
“Actually, I know more about your family than you do. You haven’t even been on a Raid with your own mother,” Kori hisses.
“You think that was my choice?!” I question. “I had no say in anything that happened in Havredal.” Kori slams her drink on the table and stands.
“You have no idea what it is to have no choice.”
And with that, she stomps away. Kori quickly disappears into the mess of people.
“Geez, I think we found someone Kori hates more than me,” Max breaths. I lean my elbows on the table.
“Can you get over yourself?” Maverick rolls his eyes at his brother.
“What did I even do?” I sigh. Maverick and Max exchange a knowing glance.
Max laughs, “Come on, tonight’s a night for fun.”
Maverick takes his mug and holds it out in the center of the table. Max does the same.
“To family,” he says. I join them in the toast.
“To family,” I whisper.